The Wasp — 1878 — page 222: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page is primarily text-based, containing a serialized story "The Illustrated Wasp" and a "Correspondence" section featuring readers' letters to the editor. The correspondence section includes satirical responses to submitted pieces. One notable letter references a lawsuit threat ("$10,000 libel suit"), suggesting The Wasp published controversial social commentary that provoked legal responses. Another correspondent defends printing humorous items about religious practices, indicating tension between satirical content and public sensibilities around religion. The letters reveal The Wasp's editorial stance: they claim to refuse printing inflammatory material while defending their right to satirize. The overall tone suggests The Wasp positioned itself as irreverent social commentary, though walking a careful line regarding what was publishable in its era. The page contains no visible political cartoons—primarily serialized fiction and editorial correspondence.